9/21/09

I hang my head in the unmistakable shame of a defeated man as I write to you this afternoon. It was all going so well. I had no trouble routing my trips through Florida and Kansas. Ohio is set to join the EZPass network at the beginning of October. My final victory over cash tolls was all but assured. And then... there was the Mackinac Bridge. The nihilists finally beat me.

After the hop up to Traverse City this morning, I was unloaded quickly and found myself at #11 on the board. This was no huge surprise since I was still in the Taylor terminal's sphere of influence. Always at least a few trucks on the board in Michigan. Fortunately though, I was a long way from Taylor so I didn't have to sit around until I got to #1. It's pretty unusual to have more than one or two trucks as far north as I was. A new assignment came up within an hour or so. Unfortunately though, that new assignment was in the U.P. Boo! Cash tolls. Boo! $17.50 to cross that damned bridge and no EZPass in sight.

I got up to the little truck stop in the lovely hamlet of Wetmore and set up shop for the night. Tomorrow will bring a drop/hook in Munising, right around the corner, and then a quick 200-mile trip down into Wisconsin. I think I may try and pick up a yooper chick since I have some free time this evening. It looks like I've found a video that might help me improve my approach...